2011

HU3352 : Bixter: the shop and post office

taken 13 years ago, near to Bixter, Mainland, Shetland Islands, Scotland

Bixter: the shop and post office
Bixter: the shop and post office
A red telephone box stands outside Williamson's general store and post office, on the main road. In common with many Shetland village shops, there are petrol pumps available as well; they are on the opposite side of the road, behind us.
K2 & K6 Telephone Boxes

The iconic red telephone kiosk was the result of a competition in 1924 to design a telephone box suitable for London Metropolitan Boroughs. A design by Giles Gilbert Scott, a British Architect, was chosen. The box, to be known as the K2 was deployed in London in 1926. The post office suggested it be painted red.

The K6 was introduced in 1935, designed to commemorate the silver jubilee of King George V. It was a smaller version of the K2, and went on to be installed prolifically around the country. It is the most recognised and iconic telephone box, that many people around the world are familiar with. The first K6 is still to be found outside the Royal Academy of Art in London.

Other versions of the red telephone box were designed and implemented but none were ever to survive the popularity of the K6.

Over 240,000 red telephone boxes were built between the 1920s and 1980s.
BT had replaced many red telephone boxes during the 1980s and 90s with the aluminium KX100, leading to English Heritage to designate over 2000 as listed structures. Only 9400 K6's remain.

BT offered councils to 'adopt-a-kiosk' for £1 to keep local K6's in place. Many have found alternate uses as mini libraries/book exchanges & art galleries, and even for storage of heart defibrillators.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Village, Rural settlement Business, Retail, Services other tags: Telephone Box Village Store Post Office Click a tag, to view other nearby images.
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Post Office [4] · Shop [4] · Petrol Pumps [3] · Common [2] · Road [2] · Shop and Post Office [2] · Telephone Box [2] · Village [2] ·
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HU3352, 15 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Chris Downer   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Thursday, 4 August, 2011   (more nearby)
Submitted
Sunday, 8 January, 2012
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! HU 3318 5227 [10m precision]
WGS84: 60:15.2000N 1:24.1424W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! HU 3316 5226
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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